


Dream a Little Dream of Me

by cherrybuccellati



Category: One Piece
Genre: Feelings Realization, First Kiss, French Kissing, M/M, Rating will change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybuccellati/pseuds/cherrybuccellati
Summary: Zoro catches Sanji about to kiss him after hearing Zoro mumbling about Sanji in his sleep. After some of their typical squabbling, Sanji realizes his feelings towards Zoro might not be unrequited.AKA: A series of firsts for Zoro and Sanji.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 20
Kudos: 120





	1. First Kiss

The sun shone brightly overhead. The Going Merry sailed calmly along the water, no sea kings or obstructions in sight. 

It was a while after lunch. The dishes had been washed and put away, the kitchen cleaned, and now with nothing to do Sanji found himself strolling around on deck for a smoke break. 

He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and put it between his lips, admiring the scenery of the sea as he lit it up. He took a drag and exhaled, feeling grateful that the weather was so nice. 

As his eyes surveyed the ship, something green caught his eye. Taking a few steps forward, Sanji rolled his eyes when he saw Zoro fast asleep on deck. 

Why couldn't he go to their actual sleeping chamber to take a nap? Why did he have to fall asleep on deck where anyone could trip over him? 

Sanji sat down next to the swordsman, half tempted to wake him up. Zoro slept through damn near anything, so trying to wake him up would probably be more trouble than it's worth. Besides, he wasn't in the mood to argue with that marimo for waking him up and interrupting his sleep. 

Instead, Sanji remained where he was and continued to smoke. Looking at Zoro out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't fathom why he'd want to sleep on the hard deck of all places. 

"Not my… nmm…" Zoro mumbled incoherently in his sleep. 

Sanji blew smoke out his nose with a snort, rolling his eyes. Not only did he fall asleep where everyone could step on him, but now he was a sleep talker? How annoying. 

Looking down at Zoro made Sanji's chest tighten and his body feel hot with rage. He'd never found anyone so annoying. 

"Mmph...cook…" Zoro mumbled in his sleep. 

Blinking several times, Sanji's heart almost skipped a beat. Was Zoro dreaming about Sanji? He was talking to him in his sleep. Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette, shaking his head to try to dispel the sudden redness in his cheeks. 

He'd never met a man who made him feel the way Zoro did. Admittedly, it was more complicated than it seemed. While preparing meals with Nami and Robin's taste in mind, a voice in Sanji's head would wonder if it was to Zoro's liking as well. Sometimes he found himself altering meals if he suspected they wouldn't be to Zoro's liking. He was a chef, of course he should want to make food that everyone would enjoy! There was nothing odd about that. He would change his recipe to make sure everyone was satisfied with their meals. Yet still, Sanji heard that voice in his head more and more often as he hoped Zoro would enjoy his food. He even found himself waiting after every meal for Zoro's opinion.

_"Oi, cook, that was pretty good."_

_"Of course it was, marimo head."_

Interactions like that tugged at Sanji's chest the same way flirting with women did. But _why?_ Why with _Zoro_ of all people? It wasn't because they were close friends or anything! He could attribute his feelings of fondness to their friendship if that were the case, but it wasn't! Sure they were _nakama_ , but Sanji wasn't buddies with Zoro like he was with, say, Usopp. 

He'd be lying if he tried to ignore the fact that Zoro would appear with more and more frequency in his romantic fantasies, sometimes wholly replacing women as Sanji imagined angrily making out with the swordsman between barbed insults. 

Even now, looking to Zoro as he slept… Sanji felt the same urge he got to protect Nami, Robin, or other women from harm. But _why?_ Zoro was incredibly skilled in combat, had survived injuries that would make Sanji keel over and die, so why on earth did he feel a protective urge towards him? 

"San...ji…" Zoro snored. 

Mouth dropping open to form a perfect O, Sanji's cigarette dropped from his mouth as he stared slackjawed at Zoro. He said his _name. Zoro called him by his name._ They rarely referred to each other outside of insulting nicknames. And to say it while sleeping? Zoro had to be dreaming about him! Sanji's chest began to ache from how romantic it sounded. 

How sweet would that be? Having a dream about your beloved only to wake up to a soft kiss from them, knowing they love you just as much in the waking world as they do in your dreams...

Before Sanji knew what was coming over him, his lips were inches from Zoro's face with the intent of kissing him. Once he realized what he was doing, Sanji quickly pulled back with a gasp. 

This wasn't a fantasy. This was real life. They didn't have those feelings for each other. 

Heart pounding, Sanji frantically turned to see if anyone had seen. When he saw the coast was clear, he sighed in relief and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it and took a long drag off of it, trying to dispel from his mind the heart-pounding incident from moments ago. 

"Oi…" Sanji ignored Zoro's sleep mumbling and continued to smoke until he heard a more forceful, " _Oi._ " 

Glancing over out of the corner of his eye, Sanji jumped in surprise when he saw Zoro staring directly at him. Did he know…? No, no, he must have woken up coincidentally. Zoro could sleep through the end of the world, he wouldn't wake up from an almost-kiss. 

"What were you doing so close to my face?" Zoro asked. 

Sanji almost dropped his cigarette again. No way, no way, _no way!_

"What are you talking about, marimo?" Sanji said as nonchalantly as possible. He took another drag off his cigarette and exhaled in an effort to show how unphased he was. 

"I woke up to someone breathing cigarette smoke in my face from two inches away. Trying to see if I'm dead or something?" Zoro asked. 

At least he hadn't realized Sanji was trying to kiss him. That was a plus. Avoiding eye contact, Sanji answered, "I dropped my carton of smokes and reached down to grab it." 

"Right." Zoro rolled his eyes and began to sit upright. "Because when I drop something next to someone and need to pick it up, this is what I do." 

Within the blink of an eye Zoro had leaned in towards Sanji, so close their noses brushed against each other. His eyes calmly met Sanji's, looking at him with a softness he had rarely seen from the swordsman. He could feel Zoro's warm breath on his skin as he exhaled, making Sanji's heart skip a beat. 

He was going to kiss him! Zoro knew Sanji was about to kiss him and had taken the next step himself! It was like something straight from one of his romantic fantasies! 

Letting his cigarette drop from his mouth, Sanji leaned in an extra inch and pressed his lips to Zoro's in a quick peck. Sanji let his eyelids dip closed, the corners of his mouth turning slightly up as they felt the warmth of Zoro's lips. 

Sanji's romantic fantasy was short-lived, as their kiss was soon broken a few moments later. Instead of kissing back, Zoro pulled away and threw his head back with uproarious laughter. "I knew it! I knew you'd do that if I leaned in like you did!" he cackled. 

It was too good to be true. No way would Zoro genuinely want to kiss Sanji out of the blue. He knew what a romantic the chef was and had taken advantage of that to make a fool out of him! What more could he expect from that moss-brained fool?

Blood boiling with anger and humiliation, Sanji tackled Zoro to the deck with an angry grunt. "You stupid moss ball, playing with me like that! Trying to make a fool of me!" Sanji growled, trying with all his might to get Zoro in a headlock between his legs. It wasn't what he usually did as an attack, but it was the quickest thing that leapt to mind seeing as they were both seated. 

As he struggled in Sanji's grasp, Zoro snickered, "Hey, hey, what happened to the sweet little cook who wanted to kiss me in my sleep?" 

"Th-that's not what I was trying to do then!" Sanji snapped. Wrapping his legs tightly around Zoro's neck, he added, "I only kissed you because I thought that's what you were going to do to me!" 

"C'mon," Zoro coughed. "You're going to choke me out after our true love's kiss?" 

Gritting his teeth, Sanji wrapped his legs tighter around Zoro's neck. He was making fun of him now! Why had he let their lips connect if all he was going to do was make fun of him? Was he going to tell their friends about this later? The thought made Sanji clench his jaw, unable to comprehend how utterly humiliated that would make him feel. 

"Marimo… bastard…" Sanji growled. His entire body was aflame with anger and betrayal. He should have known better than to kiss Zoro. Of course he was going to laugh at him for it! Why would he actually _want_ to kiss Sanji? 

"Ugh…" Zoro grunted, placing his hands firmly on Sanji's thighs in preparation to try to wrench himself free. His hands were so large, so warm against the fabric of his legs. The sensation of Zoro's hands touching him sent a bolt of shock throughout Sanji's body and he loosened his grip around Zoro, allowing the swordsman to pull himself free. 

In anticipation of Sanji lashing out in anger again, Zoro firmly grabbed him by the shoulders to hold him in place. 

"Hey hey, calm down. I was just messing with you. Don't get so riled up," Zoro said. 

Sanji's legs itched to kick Zoro away, but he didn't. Because something about this scenario felt _different_ than their other quarrels. Usually one would attack the other, who would retaliate back until they were fighting in a frenzy of swords and kicks that would only cease upon being broken up by someone else. But today Zoro wasn't fighting back--instead he was restraining Sanji. Did he not want to hurt him? 

_Preposterous._ They fought all the time, why was now any different? Because of a quick peck on the lips? 

"How did you expect me to react, dumbass?" Sanji snapped. "You're the one mumbling about me in your sleep and then ridicule me after I kiss you!" 

Zoro's grip on Sanji's shoulders loosened, eyes growing wide in surprise. He must not have been aware that he was sleep talking. 

"You were listening to me?!" Zoro said, grip tightening on Sanji's shoulders again after getting over his initial shock. 

"How could I not, you were loud enough for me to hear!" Sanji wriggled under Zoro's hands, seconds away from shoving the swordsman off of him.

"What, did you hear me dreaming about you and try waking me up with a romantic kiss? That totally seems like something you would do!" Zoro surmised. He had a mischievous smile on his face, as if he could see right through Sanji. 

_"I already told you that's not what I was doing!"_ Is what Sanji wanted to say, but his throat had completely closed up. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst from his chest, his face burning red hot. That marimo had completely figured him out! 

Zoro's smile grew wider seeing Sanji's flustered reaction. How could he be smiling like that, making fun of Sanji as if _he_ wasn't the one audibly dreaming about him? 

"You--you're the one who was dreaming about me! I heard you say 'Sanji'! How often have you called me by my actual name, huh?" Sanji fired back. 

Zoro crossed his arms, casually cooking his head to one side as he questioned, "So what are you suggesting?" 

"That you--" Sanji's throat suddenly closed up. _"That you were having a romantic dream about me?"_ No way could he say that! Thinking it was one thing, but actually saying it to Zoro's face? And then watching him laugh at him until the end of time about it? 

Sanji sat, mouth agape as he struggled to complete his sentence. His eyebrow twitched slightly, cheeks flushed fully red. 

"That I what? You must be too embarrassed to share your guess with me," Zoro said. He leaned forward to inspect Sanji, eyes travelling all along his face. A tingling shock went down Sanji's spine as Zoro looked him over. He was so close that Sanji's brain was screaming at him to pull away, but he just couldn't bring himself to. 

"You're getting even more worked up by this than I thought you would. You obviously think I was dreaming about you in a romantic way. If I was, so what?" Zoro said. 

"Wh--huh?" Sanji's brows creased with confusion. What did he mean "so what"? 

"I'm saying would it really be that big of a deal?" Zoro said with a slight eye roll. 

"Yes! There's so much to unpack with that! Such as, why were you having that dream in the first place? What are your true feelings about me? Why do you always act like a stupid marimo to me if you _do_ feel that way?" Sanji protested. He couldn't bring himself to say anything similar to _"have a crush on."_ If Zoro didn't like him that way, it would have felt too humiliating. 

"You're turning it into a bigger deal than it is. You--" 

Sanji held up a hand, indicating for Zoro to shut up. "Turning _romance_ and _love_ , two of the most important things to me, into a big deal? I feel like you're understating how important it is!" he snapped. 

With another roll of his eyes, Zoro slapped Sanji's hand away. "You flirt with almost every woman you see. You mean to tell me you take each and every one of those seriously?" 

"Of course I do!" 

They were running around in circles, ignoring the bigger picture. Did Zoro actually have a romantic dream, or was he saying it as a hypothetical scenario? And if he did, then how did he truly feel about Sanji? 

It made Sanji's heart pound just to think about. If it was anyone else, Sanji would flirt with them like normal, but it had to be that damn marimo! He'd already written it off in his head that all his fantasies of Zoro were just guilty pleasures and there was no way it could become reality, but now… was there actually a chance? 

Waving a hand as if to dismiss his thoughts, Sanji pointed a finger in Zoro's face. "All that aside, why were you saying my name in your dreams? And… and if you were dreaming in _that_ way, then how do you really feel?" he asked nervously. 

"We were arguing about something or another in the dream. The details are fuzzy, but it wasn't anything like you assumed," Zoro answered bluntly. 

Sanji was unable to hide the visible disappointment on his face. He lowered the finger he had pointing in Zoro's face, throat closing up with dread. He felt like a kid whose balloon had just been swept away into the sky by a gust of wind. He made the mistake of getting his hopes up. 

"What's with the sad look? Dreams aren't real life. They don't mean anything. I could have a dream where I married someone I hate in real life and it would mean nothing, and I could have a dream where I hate someone I actually like quite a bit," Zoro said casually. "So… having a dream where I argue with someone I like doesn't mean jack shit." 

Sanji felt deflated. Humiliated beyond a point of recovery. He wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep for a year. 

"...Well?" 

Turning his gaze up, Sanji saw Zoro staring expectantly at him. "Well what?" 

Zoro's lips peeled back with anger, blush coming to his cheeks. "Y-You curly eyebrowed idiot! You look so far into everything I say about a stupid dream but when I tell you how it really is, you don't even hear me!" he shouted. 

"Shut up! I wasn't looking 'too far' into anything! What the hell did you want me to say?!" Sanji retorted. 

Blinking a few times in disbelief, Zoro became slackjawed. "Did you even hear a word I just said?!" 

"You said dreams don't mean shit and that you can dream romantically about someone you hate, and that--" Sanji broke off suddenly when it hit him. 

_"So… having a dream where I argue with someone I like doesn't mean jack shit."_

Was he referring to the dream he just had about Sanji? Was that why he'd gotten so flustered when Sanji didn't say anything? 

"You--you shitty marimo, did you just confess to me?!" Sanji gasped. 

The redness in Zoro's cheeks deepened. "If it took you that long to comprehend, I'm worried for anyone that actually reciprocates your flirting!" 

Fireworks were going off in Sanji's chest. He was so caught up in his self pity that he didn't notice what Zoro was really saying! 

"So why didn't you kiss me back earlier then? All you did was pull away and laugh!" Sanji said. 

"I, um, had a feeling you were going to do it, but I wasn't prepared to actually get kissed by you," Zoro said awkwardly. 

Sanji grinned. It was cute watching him act this way. Seeing this side of Zoro made Sanji like him even more. 

He leaned in to Zoro, so close their foreheads were almost brushing. "Are you prepared now?" he murmured. 

Beads of sweat had formed on Zoro's forehead. His eyes darted away, seemingly too nervous to make eye contact with Sanji when he was so close. 

_Oh,_ Sanji thought, _it's so_ cute _seeing him act like this!_

He was about to playfully tease the swordsman, but hesitated when he heard Zoro inhale deeply. He met Sanji's eyes, apparently over his previous apprehension, and said, "I'm ready." 

"Good." Sanji closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to Zoro's. This time Zoro kissed back, although his lips felt noticeablely stiff against Sanji's own. He could tell Zoro still felt awkward and nervous--which was understandable, given that this was their first _actual_ kiss. He snaked an arm around Zoro's back, holding him closer in hopes of making him feel more relaxed. 

The pair broke apart briefly to get some air, then kissed again. Zoro's lips felt more tender now, making Sanji smile slightly into their kiss. He could feel Zoro's heart beating against him, body and lips warm against his own. Sanji felt so _connected_ to Zoro at this moment, all of their petty past arguments washing away as they shared this moment together. 

Sitting here in the bright sunshine, lips moving naturally against Zoro's own as Sanji held him close. This was the kind of moment he dreamt about, fantasized about but never thought it would come to fruition. Now it was here, this magic moment, and nothing could ruin it. Not even-- 

"Ooooiii, Sanji, I'm hungry!" 

Biting Zoro's lip in surprise, Sanji suddenly pulled away to see Luffy and Usopp standing in one of the doorways on the ship. When had they gotten there?! How much had they seen? 

"Luffy! You just ate lunch, how are you hungry already?" came Nami's exasperated voice behind them.

"I'm hungry too! C'mon, a little mid-afternoon snack couldn't hurt, right?" Usopp said. 

Sanji looked to Zoro, who was holding his bottom lip and giving Sanji an annoyed glare. Normally Sanji would berate Luffy and Usopp for eating too much, but now it was either give in to their demands or sit out here and listen to Zoro gripe about how he'd ruined their first kiss by biting his lip. 

The chef stood up and brushed himself off. "Alright, fine. How do some smoothies sound? They can hold you over till dinner."

Luffy pumped his fists in the air, giving a high-five to Usopp as their "Get Sanji To Make A Snack" plan succeeded. Nami stepped in behind them, ready to take a break from her map-making to have something to drink. 

As Sanji headed to the kitchen, he turned around and called, "Oi marimo! You gonna have one too, or should I plan on you being asleep when I'm finished?" 

"I'll just eat Zoro's then!" Luffy cut in.

"You don't _eat_ a smoothie unless it's super chunky," Usopp corrected.

"I can't talk over you two!" Zoro called back. "Yes, idiot cook, I'll have one."

With a nod, Sanji stepped into the kitchen to prepare smoothies for his crewmates. If any of them had seen him and Zoro together, they hadn't commented on it. Everything was running along as normal.

Although their kiss had been cut abruptly short, Sanji had a smile on his face the entire time he prepared his crew's snack as he remembered the moment he shared with Zoro.


	2. First Make-Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day and a half after their first kiss, Sanji decides to pick up where he and Zoro left off. The problem is that Zoro isn't an experienced kisser and has to get over the awkwardness of kissing your rival.

Roughly a day and a half had passed since Zoro and Sanji shared their first kiss. After their awkward interruption, neither of them found an opportunity to pick back up where they left off. 

Now it was Zoro's turn to be on watch in the crow's nest for the night. Unsurprisingly, he was fast asleep. 

The hatch leading up to the crow's nest creaked open, and Sanji quietly slipped up. This was the perfect opportunity to get some alone time without having to worry about being interrupted. 

"Hey. Marimo. Wake up," Sanji said, shaking Zoro by the shoulder. 

After almost a minute of shaking and prodding, Zoro still showed no signs of waking up. Sanji was about to slap him across the face when Zoro slowly blinked his eyes open, raising his brows at Sanji in front of him. "How long have I been up here…? Is it morning already?" he asked. 

"No. I came up here to take care of some unfinished business from yesterday," Sanji said with a grin. 

_Ba-thump._ Zoro's heart practically skipped a beat when he remembered their kiss from the day prior. By "unfinished business" did Sanji mean he wanted to pick up where they left off? 

The only response Zoro gave was a quirk of one eyebrow as if to ask what Sanji meant. 

"Idiot. You know what I mean," Sanji sighed. He leaned in and gave Zoro a quick peck on the lips, sending the swordsman's heart thumping again. 

As he pulled away, a smirk grew on Sanji's face. "Did I get you embarrassed, marimo?" he teased. 

Since Zoro couldn't look at his own face, he wasn't able to see his wide eyes and flushed cheeks. He could, however, feel his stomach knotting and heart racing. 

"...Don't get too full of yourself. I wasn't exp--" 

Zoro broke off when a giggle escaped Sanji's lips. "You weren't expecting it?! What other unfinished business do we have from yesterday that's important enough for me to talk to you alone about? You can only use that excuse for so long." Pressing a finger to Zoro's nose he cooed, "You get all blushy from one little kiss from me~!" 

Slapping Sanji's hand away, Zoro's embarrassment deepened as he glared at the cook. "That's only the third time we've kissed! I bet you'd react the same way if I kissed you." 

"We're making bets on our kisses now, hm?" Sanji said with an amused grin, resting his chin in his hand. "Go ahead then." 

"It won't be the same now that you're anticipating it," Zoro said with a huff. He knew he probably would have reacted the same way even if he _had_ been anticipating Sanji to come up and kiss him, but he wasn't going to tell the cook that! It would only fuel his ego more. 

"Marimo, the only reason I came up here was so I could kiss you again. Are you going to do it or--" 

Zoro grabbed Sanji's shoulders and pulled him in, mashing their lips together for a few seconds before pulling away. It wasn't so much a kiss as it was bonking their mouths together. 

The moment Zoro did it he regretted it. He wasn't ready to give Sanji a proper kiss just then, but he couldn't let Sanji finish that sentence without kissing him. If he'd come to the crow's nest to kiss him, then Zoro would be damned if he didn't! 

When Zoro pulled Sanji away, the other had an amused smile on his face. Zoro kept his hands tight on Sanji's shoulders, bracing himself for an insult he'd soon retaliate to. 

"That was cute," Sanji said with a chuckle. 

It took a second to register that Sanji actually meant that and wasn't insulting him. He genuinely thought that weird little kiss was cute. 

With a grunt of acknowledgement Zoro asked, "But that's not what you came up here for, is it?" 

"You know me well, marimo." Sanji nodded. "I want to continue where we left off before we were interrupted." 

"Fine by me. Just don't bite my lip again, asshole," Zoro teased. 

"Only if you piss me off," Sanji said with a playful nudge to Zoro's shoulder. 

They stared at each other for a few moments, eyes travelling along each other's faces and stopping at the other's lips. They both sat not knowing who should make the first move or when it should be. 

Zoro sat waiting for Sanji to lean in since he didn't want a repeat of their lip-smash kiss. He wasn't sure if Sanji knew that Zoro wanted him to be the one to initiate their kiss, so he leaned in slightly to give him a hint. 

That hint seemed to be all Sanji needed, and he leaned in and pressed his lips to Zoro's, wrapping his arms around the other's chest as he pulled him close. 

Being this close to Sanji as they kissed made Zoro's heart thump. He pulled him close like this the first time they kissed, so Zoro guessed Sanji must really like holding people close. 

Unsure what to do with his own hands, Zoro decided to rest his arms around Sanji's shoulders. He wasn't too experienced in kissing, so he waited for some sort of signal from Sanji to indicate it wasn't a mistake to place his arms there. 

The cook's lips curled up and he made a satisfied hum into their kiss. Feeling reassured, Zoro relaxed a bit. 

Their lips moved against one another, occasionally parting for a bit of air. Each time their lips reconnected Zoro's heart felt a slight jolt, still not used to the reality that he was actually kissing Sanji. 

Arms inching down to rest at Zoro's lower back, Sanji pulled the swordsman even closer to him. Back pressed against the side of the crow's nest, he was practically pulling Zoro to sit in his _lap._

This was fairly normal… right? Zoro wasn't the most experienced kisser, almost certainly not as experienced as Sanji by the way he acted. Zoro didn't protest, and hovered above Sanji's lap as they kissed. 

"Mm…" Sanji pulled away, pressing his forehead to Zoro's as he spoke. "I'm asking this so you don't freak out if I suddenly do it. Can I use my tongue?" 

_Tha-thump._ Zoro's heart pounded, palms growing sweaty. Sanji wanted to French kiss him! Zoro expected he would, but he had the foresight to ask so he didn't take Zoro off guard? Either Sanji was being unusually nice or didn't want Zoro to be loud and wake up any of their crewmates--perhaps both. 

"Go ahead, curly," Zoro said. 

His heart thumped so fast he could hear it pounding in his ears. He wracked his brain trying to remember the last time he'd French kissed someone. He knew he'd done it at least once, but he had been too drunk at the time to be able to remember properly. 

Their lips locked again, and Sanji gradually inched his tongue into Zoro's parted lips. Zoro froze up feeling Sanji's tongue in his mouth. What should he do? Touch Sanji's tongue with his own? Let his tongue roam around his mouth? Push Sanji's tongue out of his mouth with his tongue? 

As gears of thought turned in Zoro's mind, Sanji butted his tongue into Zoro's. The swordsman froze up, unsure of what to do next. It was an _odd_ sensation, feeling Sanji's tongue rubbing against his own. Was he trying to coax Zoro into using his tongue by rubbing against it? 

Zoro knew Sanji was going to break the kiss and make fun of him if he left his tongue stiff as a board, so he swallowed his apprehension and pushed his tongue against Sanji's. 

The cook's lips turned ever so slightly upward in a smile. Zoro was anticipating him to pull away and make a comment, but he didn't. Instead of making a verbal response, he wrapped his tongue around Zoro's and continued to kiss him. 

Zoro copied the action and wrapped his tongue around Sanji's, then rubbed against it. He started growing used to the sensation of Sanji's tongue against his own--it was actually fairly pleasant. 

They kissed like that for a few minutes, lips working and tongues twining. Sanji's hands inched lower and rested at Zoro's hips for a few moments before taking the extra step and cupping Zoro's ass with both hands. 

_Sanji was grabbing his ass!_ Zoro jolted slightly, almost choking on Sanji's tongue. 

Pulling away from the kiss, Sanji lifted his hands up. "Er… did you not like that?" he asked. 

Zoro looked away. This was certainly a predicament. After getting over the initial surprise of Sanji grabbing his butt, Zoro realized he didn't mind it. He actually… enjoyed it. 

"You can do it," he mumbled, skirting around admitting that he liked it. 

"You don't have to say that if you just want to make me happy. If you don't like it, I won't touch there," Sanji said seriously. 

Damnit, why did he have to be polite? Now he'd have to say it or else Sanji would think he made Zoro uncomfortable! 

"Why would I lie to make you happy? Go ahead and do it!" Zoro snapped. 

Sanji's hands remained hovering in the air, but his face clicked with understanding. "You don't want to admit that you like me touching your ass, do you?" he asked smugly. 

With a harsh glare Zoro growled, "Don't make me cut you, asshole." 

"Hahahoho! My marimo likes it when I do thiiis~!" Sanji chuckled, planting his hands back on Zoro's butt. 

Face burning hot and glare deepening, Zoro tightened his grip on Sanji's shoulders. "Did you come to giggle about touching my ass or make out with me?" 

"Both, ideally," Sanji said with a grin. He leaned in again, but his lips didn't connect with Zoro's. Instead he began kissing Zoro's neck, right beneath his jawline. 

All the little kisses Sanji left there felt _good_. Really good. He could feel Sanji's breath warm on his skin as the cook's lips travelled along his neck peppering sweet kisses. 

"Mmnn.." A quiet noise of pleasure broke the near silence of the night. 

"You like this, marimo?" Sanji purred, lips still pressed to Zoro's neck. 

Had that noise come from Zoro? He accidentally made that sound without realizing it? 

Growing hot with embarrassment once again, Zoro remained silent. With a small hum Sanji migrated his lips to the side of Zoro's neck and pressed them there, right beneath his jaw. 

His pulse thumped rapidly against Sanji's lips. Sanji's warm, soft lips that were pressed unmovingly to his skin… 

"Oh? It went up more," Sanji observed, voice laced with amusement. 

"I assume that'd be anyone's heart rate if they're being kissed," Zoro grunted in annoyance. 

"True, but I'd say yours is quite a bit higher than mine~" Sanji said playfully. 

"'Cause you're the one doing the kissing! You'd do the same if I kissed you. Here, watch." Zoro pulled his neck away from Sanji's lips and leaned his head forward to kiss the cook's neck. 

"Ah-ah-ah." 

Zoro stopped, raising a brow at Sanji. Why wouldn't he want to be kissed now? 

"You're not turning this into a competition of who can incite what reaction. I don't want to compete with you over this--I just want to enjoy it as it happens," Sanji said. 

An odd tightness gripped Zoro's chest. Why didn't that statement make him want to compete with Sanji even more? Why did he instead feel the strong urge to make out with Sanji again? 

Gripping the side of Sanji's jaw with one hand, Zoro pulled him in for another kiss. This time there weren't any lips bonking awkwardly into each other. Instead they softly moved against one another, tongues sliding together as they kissed passionately. 

***

"...trying to wake Zoro up but he's out like a light!" 

"Well if he won't wake up he can consider his breakfast already claimed by Luffy." 

Usopp and Sanji's voices broke through Zoro's sleep the following morning. Zoro blinked his eyes open, rubbing the sleep out of them before looking down the hatch of the crow's nest where Usopp was standing. 

"It's a miracle, he actually woke up! After a whole night of dutifully keeping watch I'm sure," Usopp chuckled. 

"Ha ha," Zoro said dryly. "Outta the way so I can get down." 

Usopp stepped aside and Zoro climbed down from the crow's nest. Upon seeing Zoro up close, Usopp flinched. 

"Yeesh, what kinda bug bite is _that_?" he asked. 

"Bug bite…? Where?" Zoro asked. 

"On your neck. Uh…" Usopp looked around before spotting a small mirror on one of the tables nearby. He picked it up and handed it to Zoro so he could get a look for himself. 

There was a fairly decent sized red mark on Zoro's neck. It _did_ look like a nasty bug bite, and was coincidentally in the same spot where Sanji had been kissing him a lot. Zoro figured he must have been kissing there before the bug bit him there. 

"Must've been when I was asleep. Doesn't itch or anything though," Zoro said. He cast the mirror aside and began to walk towards the kitchen to eat. 

"I hope it wasn't a dangerous bug, and that no one else fell victim to it. But I guess it makes sense since you were out on watch all night," Usopp said. 

"Whaddaya mean, Usopp? I saw Sanji going up to go on watch last night!" Luffy's voice came from behind the pair. Sanji was holding the back of Luffy's collar, trying to keep the captain from trampling everyone on the way to breakfast. 

"How can that be, when I just got Zoro to come down from up there?" Usopp asked. 

Stomach clenching, Zoro shared a concerned glance with Sanji. Would those two be able to connect the dots…? 

"But I saw Sanji going up there! I remember 'cause I asked him for food and he told me to go back to bed and he'd make a really yummy breakfast!" Luffy recounted, mouth watering. 

"I was going up there to make sure that moss head hadn't fallen asleep on watch like he always does," Sanji fibbed quickly. "And what do you know? He did!" 

"Shut up, dumbass." Although those were the words that came out of Zoro's mouth, he was secretly relieved Sanji had come up with an excuse on the spot. 

As they neared the kitchen, Zoro spotted Chopper sleepily padding in. This would be a good opportunity to mention the bug bite before he forgot. 

"Oi Chopper. After breakfast can you check out this bug bite on my ne--" 

" _Marimo_!" Sanji grabbed the back of Zoro's collar and pulled him back. Releasing his grip on Luffy, the captain raced into the kitchen along with Usopp. Chopper got swept up in between them and disappeared inside. 

"Are you a complete idiot? Do you _want_ Chopper to know we were making out last night?" Sanji hissed. 

"What are you talking about? I'm just asking about the bug bite! I'm not gonna say 'Look at my bug bite, by the way I made out with the cook last night!' Idiot!" Zoro quietly retorted. 

"Are you--?" Sanji held in a laugh. "Are you serious? You really think that's a bug bite? Right there where I kissed you over and over last night?" 

Zoro began to grow red with anger and embarrassment. Sanji was poking fun at him! If he wasn't groggy and hungry he'd be slicing that asshole up! 

"What else would it be?" he asked through gritted teeth. 

"That's a _hickey_. You get them when someone kisses or sucks at an area of your skin repeatedly," Sanji explained. 

"Wha--?! Well if you knew that then why'd you give me one?!" 

"If I--" 

"Ah _hem_. Can you two finish that conversation somewhere that isn't in front of the door?" 

Zoro and Sanji froze mid-argument, slowly turning to look at Nami who had her arms crossed. 

"Hello? I'd like to get through and eat breakfast," she said. 

"N-N-Nami-swan!? How much of that did you hear?" Sanji asked frantically. His face was redder than Zoro had ever seen it. 

"Enough. Am I going to be quizzed on what I heard or can I get past?" Nami said exasperatedly. 

Sanji immediately stepped aside and gestured for Nami to walk in. "Of course, Nami-san, my apologies! I hope you don't..." 

He didn't get to finish his sentence before Nami stepped past him and into the kitchen. Sanji stood there staring at the spot where Nami had once stood, looking like a deflated balloon. 

"Don't look so sad. Everyone's bound to find out eventually. C'mon, let's eat," Zoro said, tugging at Sanji's arm. 

"Nami-san…" Sanji whimpered sadly. Rolling his eyes, Zoro released Sanji's arm and walked into the kitchen. He was greeted with the typical scene of a chaotic Straw Hat crew meal. 

"I saved your breakfast before Luffy got to it, Zoro!" Chopper said. He had shapeshifted into his humanoid form and was hunched over a plate of food to protect it. 

Luffy, meanwhile, seemed focused on fighting over the last muffin with Usopp. Nami was shouting at them to grow up and cut it out, while one of Robin's arms sprouted from the table and tossed the muffin to herself. 

"Thanks, Chopper," Zoro said. He sat down and the reindeer handed over his plate of food. 

After transforming back to his normal size, Chopper asked, "So what was that about a bug bite you were going to ask me?" 

Zoro paused with a spoon halfway to his mouth. He'd almost forgotten he'd mentioned it to Chopper. 

"Oh, that. I, uh…" 

As Zoro fumbled for an excuse, Sanji stepped into the kitchen appearing to have gotten over his utter despair from a minute prior. The pair made brief eye contact before Zoro turned away to look at Chopper. 

"Y'know, I think it was just a mosquito. Nothing to worry about," Zoro said casually. 

"Are you positive? I could check just to make sure," Chopper said. 

"Yep," Zoro replied with a mouthful of food. "I'm sure I--" 

"Marimo! Don't chew with your mouth full, that's disgusting!" Sanji snapped suddenly. 

"If Chopper's talking to me then I'm gonna respond, idiot!" Zoro shot back. 

As the pair settled into one of their typical arguments, breakfast continued on like usual. It was almost impossible to tell those two had a makeout session the night before--except, of course, for the "bug bite" on Zoro's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on having this fic be a one-shot, but... surprise! I decided to make it multiple chapters chronicling Zoro and Sanji's growing relationship. The rating will be changing as I write more. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! 💖 
> 
> Twitter: traitorsrequiem  
> Tumblr: dreamweavers

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my first One Piece fic, I hope you liked it! I definitely want to write more as I continue the series--I'm on Thriller Bark at the time of publishing this. Zoro and Sanji have been two of my favorites since I started the series a few months ago so I wanted to write something to show my appreciation for them. 
> 
> You can find me on Twitter @ traitorsrequiem (I'm more active there) or on Tumblr @ dreamweavers! 😊


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